Janss' Pipefish

Janss' Pipefish is an attractive and relatively hardy member of the Doryrhamphus genus, featuring a reddish-brown to maroon body adorned with distinctive banding patterns and a characteristic bright flag-like tail. Its coloration typically consists of darker reddish bands alternating with lighter cream or tan interspaces along the rigid, elongated body. At approximately 5.5 inches, it falls in the medium size range for aquarium pipefish, providing good visual presence while remaining manageable in a modest-sized system.

In the wild, Doryrhamphus janssi inhabits reef caves, crevices, and overhangs across the Indo-Pacific, where pairs stake out territories and often exhibit cleaning behavior with larger reef fish. Like other Doryrhamphus species, it is typically found upside-down on cave ceilings or hovering alongside vertical rock walls, a fascinating behavior that it readily displays in the aquarium when provided with appropriate rockwork and overhangs. The species forms strong pair bonds, with mates rarely venturing far from each other.

Janss' Pipefish is considered one of the hardier pipefish species for aquarium keeping, making it a reasonable choice for intermediate to advanced aquarists looking to venture into syngnathid husbandry. While it still requires the specialized feeding regimen common to all pipefish, consisting of small live or frozen crustaceans, it tends to accept frozen mysis shrimp and enriched brine shrimp more readily than many related species. An established refugium producing copepods remains highly beneficial. Keep in pairs in a calm reef or dedicated species aquarium with no food-competitive tankmates.